Imagine an eight-year-old girl, raised in a home where God was never mentioned, suddenly painting a divine portrait of Jesus—one so lifelike it would later be stolen, lost, and miraculously returned. This is the story of Akiane Kramarik and her famous painting, Prince of Peace.
Growing up in rural Idaho with atheist parents, Akiane had no exposure to religion. Yet, she began describing vivid encounters with God, leaving her family stunned. “She spoke of His love in detail, as if she knew Him,” her mother recalled. With no TV or outside influences, her visions seemed to come from nowhere.
Compelled to share what she saw, Akiane searched for a model to pose as Jesus. After a day of prayer, a carpenter—tall and serene—arrived at their home. The moment she saw him, she gasped. “That’s him,” she whispered. Using him as reference, she painted Prince of Peace, a work so masterful it landed her on Oprah’s stage at age nine. When asked about her gift, she said simply, “God gave it to me.”
But the painting’s journey took a dramatic turn. Stolen before its debut exhibition, it disappeared for 16 years. Akiane eventually got it back, only to sell it to a collector who kept it hidden away. Heartbroken, she moved forward, creating more art and traveling the world to inspire others.
Then, in 2019, fate intervened. A mysterious family bought Prince of Peace for nearly a million dollars, pledging to protect it. When Akiane reunited with her childhood masterpiece, she was overcome. “It’s surreal,” she admitted. “After all these years, it’s finally back in the light.” Now displayed in Texas, the painting remains a symbol of faith—and the incredible story of a girl who painted Jesus before the world believed her.
